Soap hanger



Jan. 12, 1.943.

C/B. ANDERSON SOAP HANGER Filed Sept. 5,- 1939 Patented Jan. 12, 1943 s'oAP HANGER Charles B. Anderson, Rockford, assignor of one-half to Andrew F. Winter-corn, Rockford,

Application September 5, 1939, Serial'No. 293,318 4 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved soap hanger.

I am aware that various suspensory devices have been proposed for soap with a view to draining off the water and permitting the bar to dry thoroughly, but so far as I am aware, there were certain inherent objections to those constructions which prevented their adoption commercially. For one thing, many of the prior con- 1 structions were based on the supposition that the suspension means had to bemolded in place in the bar, thus limiting the user to the particular kind or kinds of soap offered by only one manufacturer. Other constructions designed with a view to application to an otherwise standard bar involved complicated and cumbersome means which necessitated the drilling out and wasting of appreciable portions of the bar for the insertion thereof. Still others involved the insertion or molding into place of barbed type suspension means which were objectionablejfrom the standpoint that they would not permit use of the bar down to a small fragment before scratching the hands, and catching on the wash-cloth or sponge. It is the principal object of my invention to provide a simple unbarbed slender pin for the suspension means adapted to be thrust into the bar easily by pressure on the headed end and thereafter to be suspended by the headed end, the pin relying for its hold in the bar only upon the friction between the soap and the smooth shank of the pin and upon the suction created behind the pin in the pinhole in the soap when a pull is exerted on the pin tending to remove it, thus avoiding all of the objections noted in regard to the earlier constructions and at the same time providing a construction which can be used universally and is obtainable at low cost.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of an improved hanger bracket formed to provide a crotch to receive easily and speedily the headed end of the bar suspension pin, the bracket being suitably, although not necessarily, formed from wire, thus eliminating all sharp edges and providing a construction which if wetted will drain and dry promptly.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figs. 1 and 2 are a side view and top view of my improved soap hanger showing a bar of soap hanging thereon, Fig. 1 showing the bar in section so as to disclose the suspension pin;

Fig. 3 is a side view showing a modified or alternative construction, and

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the' bar of soap,

indicated at 6, has a slender unbarbed metallic pin 1 thrust therein, preferably along the longitudinal center line of the bar so that the bar hangs straight when placed on the hanger bracket 8 and presents a neat appearance. The pin 1 has a large spherical head 9 preferably of molded glass or.composition material provided on the projecting end thereof which not only serves as a handle to be used in inserting the pin in the bar, but also as a support for the bar in the crotch .IU of the hanger bracket 8. The latter may be formed from sheet metal with the crotch portion [0 formed as a cut-out on the end of the bracket, but I prefer to make this bracket of wire bent generally U-shaped so as to provide two arms Ii and I2, the cross or connecting portion l3 between the arms being bent inwardly to provide the U-shaped portion M forming the crotch iii. The inner end portion of the U- shaped crotch portion I4 is ofiset downwardly from theplane of the arms I! and H, the same" being connected with the outer ends of said arms by downwardly and inwardly inclined interme, diate portions i5, as clearly appears in Fig. 1. In that way, once the headed and 9 of the pin 7 is inserted in the crotch, thereis no danger of the bar sliding and dropping oil the hanger bracket 8, because the portions i5 interfere with lineal movement of the head 9 in that direction; the bar must move along the arcuate path indicated by the dotted arc .r-y in Fig. 1 for removalfrom the bracket 8, the arc 'a:y being struck with the head 9 as a center. When enough of the shank of the pin 1 is left projecting from thebar, the bar can be removed by outward and upward movement relative to the hanger. The user finds that the application and removal of the bar is a very simple matter because the headed end of the pin can be entered in the crotch without regard to the position to which the bar If desired, the bracket 8, instead of being mounted in a horizontal plane at right angles to the wall, indicated at IS, in the manner of the bracket 8a in Fig. 3, may be mounted inclined upwardly to a small extent, as shown in Fig.. 1, whereby to facilitate the application and removal of the bar from the bracket where'the device is used at a low elevation, as, for example, on the splasher-back wall of a lavatory. The wall l6 in Fig. 1

:anchored at may be considered as representing a tiled wall in a shower stall or bathroom, whereas the wall I60 may be considered to be any other wall such as plaster or wallboard, in fact anything into which screws or nails may be driven readily for securing the device thereto.

In both forms of the device herein shown, the inner ends of the arms H and 12 of the bracket terminate in downwardly bent parallel end portions H which in the device shown in Figs. 1 and '2 are arranged to be entered in parallel holes l8 drilled, pierced, or molded in a transverse boss 19 provided as a central horizontal integral projection on the outer side of a circular rubber suction cup 20. This cup can be applied-quickly and easily wherever a flat smooth surface is available, as, for example, on the splasher-back wallof a lavatory or kitchen sink, or on a tiled wall in a bathroom or shower stall. ,Hanger brackets 8 and 8a may be used interchangeably on the suction cups 20 and they may .likewise be used interchangeably with the sheet metal attachment plate 21 shown in Figs.- 3 to that is adapted to be secured tq the well as by means of a screw 22 entered through a center' hole 23 therein. The p1ate2l is formed to provide two laterally spaced parallel rib portions 2| which fit over the downwardly bent ends of the bracket 8 or as, depending upon which style of bracket is used, the plate serving to grip the ends lLtlghtly between the wall and the channels 0! means is used and even farther because of the fact that in the use of .the present soap hanger the soap is always permitted to drainand dry promptly after each use and it ,does' not become soggy, and when used'up until there isonly a small thickness is, not so apt to be found in an unusable condition as when laid in avwetsoap "dish. The user always finds the bar in. a dry and firm condition, pleasant and handy to use. and it goes without saying that much of the waste connected with the old method is avoided with the present method and a bar of soapused on the present hanger will lastmuch longer than when kept in a soap dish. There lsno danger of the blunt end 25 of the pin scratching the'hands or presenting, other difilculties such as previously mentioned in regard to the earlier types of soapanchors proposed.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of. the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications; and adaptations.

the-rib portions 24 when the screw 22 is tight ened, as indicated in Fig. 5. The rib portions 24 are purposely made shallow enough to insure spacing of the plate 2| with respect to the wall 16a when the bent ends Il are in position be hind the plate, as shown in Fig. 5, and in that way the tightening of the screw 22 results in secure clamping of the end portions I! to eliminate danger of their slipping out endwise or of the bracket 8a turning with the plate 2| about the screw 22 as a center.

In use, the pin 1 can be thrust into any bar of soap, thus giving the user his preference and not confining him to any one manufacturer's brand of soap. The pin is inserted by pressure against the head 9, and it is found that contrary to previous assumptions, as indicated by the complicated anchorage devices heretofore thought to be necessary, this unbarbed pin will, despite its smooth surface, support the bar so that there is no danger of its slipping off the pin. In fact, actual test has shown that after the pin has been inserted a day or so, it requires a much greater pull thereon to remove it than when it was first inserted. This is apparently due to the fact that the soap normally contains a certain percentage of moisture, and after thepin has been inserted the soap dries out more or lessaround the pin and in so doing becomes bonded thereto as the softsoap dries out and hardens in' contact with the pin. The alkalinity of the soap in contact with the metal of the pin is probably also a factor in this bonding of soap to pin, The piston and cylinder suction action obtained by the pin in the pinhole made by the pin in the soap is also an important feature in supporting the bar on the pin, as previously indicated. At any rate, the pin becomes more land more securelyanchored, but is well enough slenderness of the pin enables use of the bar down to as small thickness as where no suspension Iclaim: 4 t

, 1. A device of the characteridescribed, comprising a suitably headed, elongated, substantially smooth slender'shan'kedpin adapted to be removably inserted interchangeably inahy one of .a plurality of. ms? fbf diife'rentlinakes of soap,

without likelihoods: crackin siifl ber and without necessitating breakage oLaba'r in event of the desired removalofthe pin before the bar is usedup, said .pin being thrus't'iinto a bar substantially along the central longitudinal axis of the bar, making its own smooth bore in the bar when thrust into the bar, whereby 'the pin is capable of supporting the weight'of the bar relying substantially solely upon frictional contact between the soap and the shank" of the pin in the bore, the smoothness of the shank permitting use of the bar down to a small thickness close to the thickness of the slender shank itself, and means for supporting the bar by means of the pin head.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a suitably headed, elongated, substantially smooth slender shanked pin adapted to be removably inserted interchangeably in any one of a plurality of bars of different makes of soap, without likelihood of cracking said bars. and without necessitating breakageof a bar in event of the desired removal of'the pin before the bar the very outset so that there is m,- danger of the bar gravitating oil the pin when I suspended thereby on the hanger bracket. The

is used up, said pin being thrust into a bar substantially along the central longitudinal axis of the bar, making its own smooth bore in the bar when thrust into the bar, whereby the pin is capable of supporting the weight of the bar relying substantially solely upon frictional contact between the soap and the. shank of the pin in the bore, the smoothness of theshank permitting use of the bar down to a small thickness close to the thickness of the slender shank itself and means for supporting the bar by means of the pin head, said support means including a crotch adapted to receive the head end of the pin detachably, the pin being inserted in the bar usually with only enough of the head end thereof projecting from the end of the bar for convenient attachment to the Support means and so as not to lnte the bar in washing 3. The method" o ere with ordinary handling of smooth bore in the bar and the pin is capable of supporting the weight of the bar relying substantially solely upon frictional contact between substantially smooth slender shanked pin adapt ed .to be removably inserted interchangeably in any one of a plurality of bars of different makes of soap by thrusting the shank thereof into the bar so that the pin makes its own smooth bore in the bar and the pin is capable of supporting the weight of the bar relying substantially solely upon frictional contact between the soap and the shank of the pin in the bore, the smoothness of the shank permitting useof the bar down to a small thickness close to the thickness of the slender shank itself, a support adapted to be secured on a sink or the like, and a generally U-shaped substantially horizontal wire bracket having the ends of the arms of the U mounted on the support and having the cross portion of the U bent to provide an inwardly and downwardly projecting U-shaped narrow crotch portion, the arms of said U-shaped crotch portion being in closely spaced relation to receive therebetween the shank of the protruding head end portion of the pin when thrust into a bar of soap,,and said arms being adapted to support said head end thereon.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a suitably headed bar-supporting member adapted to support a bar of soap, said member having an elongated slender shank portion below the head, and means for supporting the bar by means of the pin head, said Support means including a crotch adapted to receive said shank portion.

6.-A device of the character described, comprising a suitably headed bar-supporting member adapted to support a bar of soap, said member having an elongated slender shank portion below the head, a support adapted to be secured on a sink or the like, andv a generally U-shaped substantially horizontal wire bracket having the ends of the arms of the U mounted on the support and having the cross-portion of the U bent to provide an inwardly and downwardly projecting U-shaped narrow crotch portion, the arms of said U-shaped crotch portion being in closely spaced relation to receive therebetween the aforesaid shank portion, and said arms being adapted to support the aforesaid head thereon.

thrust into a bar substantially along the central longitudinal axis of the bar, making its own smooth bore in the bar when thrust into the bar, whereby the pin is capable of supporting the weight of the bar relying substantially solely upon frictional contact between the soap and the shank of the pin in the bore, the smoothness of the shank permitting use of the bar down to a small thickness close to the thickness of the slender shank itself, said bar being supportable on the supporting means by means of the pin head.

CHARLES B. ANDERSON. 

